China Launches Nationwide Fireworks Safety Inspection

- The nationwide inspection follows two recent fatal incidents during the Lunar New Year holiday: an explosion at a fireworks shop in Hubei province on February 18, 2026, which killed 12 people, and a blast at a shop in Jiangsu province on February 15, 2026, which killed eight. - The inspection is being led by the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Management, which have dispatched teams to key regions. - New directives explicitly prohibit the sale of fireworks in mixed-use buildings where retail spaces are located below residential units and forbid excessive stockpiling of products. - China's fireworks industry is a major global supplier, with total production valued at $1.4 billion in 2024; of the 488,000 tons produced, 408,000 tons worth $1.2 billion were exported. The domestic market for fireworks in China was valued at $217 million in 2024. - The country's primary safety regulation is the "Regulation on the Safety Administration of Fireworks and Firecrackers," first implemented in 2006, which governs the production, sales, transport, and setting off of fireworks. - For export, fireworks must adhere to China's National Standards (GB standards), which include requirements for packaging, labeling, and hazard classification that align with international transport regulations. - The use of fireworks in China has been a subject of ongoing regulatory debate, with many local governments instituting bans or restrictions since the 1990s due to safety and air pollution concerns; by 2018, 444 cities had outright bans. - A 2023 study of over 100 fireworks production accidents in China identified inadequate safety training, the condition of workers, and poor workplace management as the primary contributing factors to accidents.